Track for toy electric trains



July 19, 1927.

1,636,416 e. HANDY TRACK FOR TOY ELECTRIC TRAINS Filed Novp19. 1921opposite side being carried by the two out- Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES I 1,636,416 PATENT. OFFICE.

I4. GESSI'OBD HANDY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRACK FOB TOY ELECTRIC TRAINS.

Application fled November 18, 1821. Serial No. 518,881.

This inventionrelates to toy electric trains, or rather to the track'agefor such trains.

An object of the invention is to provide means whereby .the passage of atrain over a given section of the track may be made to control theoperation of auxiliary devices, such as signals, and the like.

A further object is to provide a track section'which may be inserted atany desired .point in the track and which is constructed so that thepassage of a train over said section will complete an electric circuitfor-controlling one or more auxiliary devices.

Othenobjcts and aims of the invention, more or less specific than thosereferred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out' inthe course of the following description of the elements, combinations,

a track system illustrating the use of this invention, and

Figure 2 is a detail of the track sections.

Heretofore it has been common to make up the track for electric toytrains to include perspective view of one three rails, as 1, 2 and 3,the central rail, as

2, being insulated from the others and arranged to carry one side ofthecircuit, the

'side rails. The track is made up of a plurality ofsections connectedtogether endwise, each of said sections being substantially as seen inFig. 2, with the exceptions which will I be presently noted.

Each of the rails of these sections have metallic pins, as 4, at one endthereof adapted. for entering pockets,.as 5,.of adjacent sections so asto' hold the sections together.

According -to the resent invention, however, one of the outside rails,as 3, in Fig. 2, is insulated from .rails 1 and 2, and has itsconnecting pin, as6, made also of insulat ng material so that said rail3 of this sect1on adjacent section in both directions.

The three rails of a section are connected together by-cross ties 12which usually are of conductive maten 'al. The manner in which the rail3 is insulated from the other rails may take any desired form butpreferably consists in placing a suitable piece of irisulatmg material,as 13, about the lower ortlon of the rail where the rail is engage bythe retaining fingers 14 of the tie. This manner of insulating the rail3 is the same as is now in common employment for insulating the rail 2,as illustrated. g

The rails are usually formed of sheet metal bent into the shape. asindicated, and the insulating pins are insertible and removable. 1

at will into and out of. the sockets provided in the ends of the rails.

By using track sections in which the threerails are insulated from eachother, as sug gested, it is possible to provide for the operation ofvarious devices, as 7 spaced along the length of the track by simplyconnecting the devices 7 with rails 2 and 3, being sure. that theinsulating connecting pins 6 connect. opposite ends of the rail 3 of thespecial section with the ends of the rails 3' of adjacent ordinarysection-s.

Of course,"whenever desired two or more of the special sections; thatis, sections having the three rails insulated from each other,inaccordance with this invention, may be connected together to act as aunit. In the illustration ig. 1, thereference character 8 indicates twodifferent sections of the special track, each having a signal device 7connected for operation thereby.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the circuit for driving thelocomotive 15 may be traced as follows From battery 9, along rail 1 andthru the wheel of the locomotive to the motor 10', and thence thru shoe11 and rail 2 back to the battery.

When the locomotive is travelling around the track and "passes one ofthe insulating pins 6 into engagement with one of the specialsections,it immediately sets up a current includin' the adjacent device 7,asfollows From iattery 9, along rail 1 and thru the wheels and axles ofthe locomotive to rail section 8, thence thru. the device 7 and backalong rail 2 to the opposite side of the batter 'l his will cause thedevice 7 to operate, and continue to operate until the train has passedbeyond the next insulating pin 6.

An number of the special track sections may provided along the length ofthe system, and each of these may operate one maintaining the lights,

i scope up of wire 18 between the or more diiferent devices, such asswitches, signals, gates or toys of various kinds, as the trainprogresses.

It will be noted that at the time when the train is passing over one ofthe special sections of the track, the current supply from battery 9 isdivided between the work of propelling the train and operating thedevice 7. It will be understood, however, of course, that b providingproper relat ve resistances in t e train motor and the device 7 an ampleamount of current may be retained for operating the train and yet enoughhe allowed for satisfactory operation of device 7.

It may be pointed out further. that, if desired, the entire track systemmay be made the special track sections having three rails insulated fromeach other, and in this way provision may readily be made for forinstance, on the train burning even tho the current supply for drivingthe train be cut oil and the train be standing still. For thispurpose'the wire 16 which leads from the battery 9 to the rail 1, andwhich has therein the usual controlling switch 17, is provided with abranch battery and the switch and extending to the rail 3. When theswitch 17 is closed and the train running the lights on the train willbe fed by current in the usual manner; that is, by means of tracks 1 and2. They may, at the same time, of course, be drawin some current overwire 18 and track 3. en the switch 17 is opened, however, for stoppingthe train, and the currentsupply thru track 1 thereby broken, then thesupply for the lights will continue to flow over wire 18 and tracks 2and 'As many changes could be made in this construction withoutdeparting from the of the invention as defined in the fol lowing claims,it is intended that all matter contained in the above description orshownin the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrativeonly andnot in a limiting sense. Having thus "described my 7 invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentisz -e v 1.Ina "track section for toy electric trains, said. section comprisin aplurality of! spacedjsubstantfially para lel rails' and means connectlngsaid rails together, and at -least" one of said rails being insulatedfrom the other rails, said mentioned-insulated rail having openings inits opposite ends, the combination therewith of insulating pins adaptedfor'extending into said openings and "for engaging within like openingsof the corresponding rail of adjacent sections tome cha'nically connectand electrically insulate i said mentioned connected rails.

.nected in circuit with two of eeann;

2. A track section for toy electric trains comprising three rails andconnecting ties, means whereby each of said rails is insulated from theother rails of the section, at least one of said rails having openingsin its opposite ends, and insulating connecting pins in said openingsand projecting beyond the rail ends to engage corresponding openings inadjacent rail sections.

3. In a three-rail track system for toy electric railways, a tracksection having each of its rails insulated from the other rails of thesection, a source of electrical energy conthe rails of said section, andthe other rail of said section being disconnected electrically at itsends from the corresponding rails of the system, whereby said section isprovidedwith twolive rails and a dead rail, and an electrically-operabledevice in circuit with one of said live rails and with the dead rail.

4. In combination, a toy electric railway track having two wheel bearingrails and a third rail, one of said rails having a relativelyshortsection of itself insulated from the other two rails, said othertwo rails being electrically continuous and insulated from each other, asource of electrical energy having its opposite terminals connected tothe two electrically continuous rails respectively, anelectrically-operable device having one terminal connected to one of theelectrically continuous rails and having its opposite terminal connectedto said insulated section, and an electric engine on said rails havingrail contacts connected to put its motor in circuit withsaid sourcethrough said electrically continuous rails and to put saidelectrically-operable device in parallel with said motor circuitthroughsaid insulated section. a

5. As an article of manufacture, a unitary track section for toyelectric trains adapted to be interchangeable with the usual toy tracksections to permit the usual uninterrupted electric travel of a trainwhile permitting operation of a signal or the like from the same trackcircuit, said unitary track section comprising spaced wheel bearing.rails, a third rail, means whereby said third rail is insulated fromsaid wheel bearing rails, means whereby one of said wheel bearing railsis insulated from the other wheehhearing rail of the section, meanswhereby the insulatedwheel hearing rail may be insulated from thecorresponding wheel bearing rails of adjacent track seethe. like incircuit with said insulated wheel bearing rail and with said third rail.

In testimony whereof I a-fiix my signature.

L. GESSFORD HANDY.

tions when assembled in track forming rela- 7 tion, and an electricallyoperated signal or

